Life, travel and other such adventures.

There are a few things you get to experience in life that strike you as great privileges and leave you filled with gratitude for just having born witness. It’s been a big month for me. I watched my beautiful niece Savannah join this world and I, yes me, hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Now I sit in seat 14 on the B car of the Peru Rail and watch the Andes pass as we leave Machu Picchu behind. I can’t see from here, but I know my feet... Read The Rest →

If I’m honest, this story starts back in 2009. That was the year that I rode 12,500 miles on my BMW F800GS from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Alaska and back. That was when I first learned about the Pan American Highway. Somewhere north of the Arctic Circle we ran in to a wiry German fellow on a bicycle, who was making the last push north and finishing his year-long journey on bicycle from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina all the way up. That was it. It didn’t take long for my... Read The Rest →

Summer in East Texas. The cacophony of locusts suspended in thick, hot air. Facebook reminds me that it’s been a year since I boarded the ferry leaving Juneau. Jeep, dogs and motorcycle in tow. A refugee from my life. My sister, thank God for her. The strength I did not have to make the journey. Three thousand, five hundred miles, she recalls, of mourning as she’s never heard before. I was lost. East Texas was not for me. Too flat, too far from the ocean. Too small, too big. Too,... Read The Rest →

The decision to go to India was not one I made easily. I had all these questions: What’s my motivation? What will I REALLY be doing there? Does it even make a difference? Am I really wanting to go for selfish reasons? Am I contributing to the controversy about white people and “voluntourism”? But mostly, what could I possibly hope to accomplish? After closely inspecting my motives I honestly concluded that they were not entirely altruistic. Indeed, whether volunteering locally or half way around the world, I get something out... Read The Rest →

Mr. Devidas and an arrival committee of several collected us upon our arrival by bus from Mumbai. At the orphanage, the fanfare of drums and cymbals and 30 boys greeted us all at once. A beautifully intricate welcome sign of various colored sands decorated the floor. Strands of marigolds around our necks and red powder on our foreheads added to the honored welcome. This I was not expecting. We were promptly invited to sit and be introduced to the group, piping hot cups of chai tea quickly served. The rest... Read The Rest →

The first fish I ever caught was a rainbow trout. It was magical. And knowing now what I know about fishing, nothing short of a miracle. A perfect moment, a gift. I remember its sleek body emerging from the water with its rainbow iridescent sheen. I was 6 or 7 and my father had taken me fishing. It was one of his visits when he drove up from San Diego to see us on the weekend. I couldn’t tell you where he took me, but I remember the place perfectly.... Read The Rest →

It was Monday and the first day of our work in the field. We’d be traveling out of the town of Kotido and deeper into the Karamojo region. We drive, 10 of us packed like sardines across two bench seats in the back of the Land Cruiser, down the rough, red snake “road” through green bush country. The Karamojo region sits atop a plateau, and at 4,100 feet green bush stretches as far as you can see, interrupted occasionally with dramatic rock outcroppings. The roads through this region are what... Read The Rest →

Our accommodations were a guest house complex at the Church of Uganda – or owned by them anyway – and so it was simply called “Church of Uganda”. They were simple accommodations, but admittedly better than what I had expected. They were clean, we each had our own bathroom and they were cute round huts with thatched roofs. We didn’t have running water for over half the time we stayed there, but hey, it was an experience. Thankfully, the day following our arrival in Kotido was Sunday. The... Read The Rest →

Inception to Kotido - I can’t be sure exactly where the idea for the documentary came from. All I know is that before I knew it, what had begun as a seemingly ridiculous inkling in the back of my mind had taken shape into a notion and a hope. Perhaps more than a year ago a friend asked me if I’d be willing to help a small organization doing water projects with the design of a logo. Sure, I agreed, eager to help but also always enjoying a new project.... Read The Rest →

I can’t believe it’s been almost 4 years since I’ve posted to this blog. Time goes by fast, but a lot has, and is happening. When I started this blog in the summer of 2009 it was to log our journey from Cape Cod to Alaska and back. Many of my friends and family followed our trip here on this blog. The trip was amazing of course, but even 4 years later I’m still feeling the affects of it. I’d be remiss if I didn’t report back that the trip... Read The Rest →